Draft and UDFA Thread 2018-19: Part III

[Bluenote13]

You're right that it isn't the be all end all, but there are a bunch of things that do carry over onto the ice.

I love the force plate stuff and VO2 max is semi important because a players performance in it is to an extent, genetic. But a guy shouldn't hop from the 3rd round to the 1st round because he crushed the combine, this isn't the NFL.

OTOH, unless a player is injured or played late into the season, they have no excuse not to perform well. It's like having the answers to a test before even taking it. You know whats coming, if you perform poorly that says a ton about your mindset.

Even though I didn't do an extensive search it seems that a lot of second-rounders are helped out by good testing.

First rounders, it doesn't seem like it matters as much. Micro Mueller killed it in 2013, still went in the late teens where he was mocked up around.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

How do we feel about Victor Soderstrom around here? I think I like him more than Broberg, and I’d be pretty happy with him as a target with the second 1st

 

[Ghost of jas]

How do we feel about Victor Soderstrom around here? I think I like him more than Broberg, and I’d be pretty happy with him as a target with the second 1st

I’m a fan, and that’s what I’m hoping for.

 

[Bluenote13]

How do we feel about Victor Soderstrom around here? I think I like him more than Broberg, and I’d be pretty happy with him as a target with the second 1st

With very few righty two-way defenseman in the top rounds he'll get picked early. While I don't think he'll be a top-10 pick it's not like he doesn't belong there, and he's definitely on my shortlist to be a potential surprise in the top 10.

 

[Edge]

How do we feel about Victor Soderstrom around here? I think I like him more than Broberg, and I’d be pretty happy with him as a target with the second 1st

Have him at 20 and definitely in play for a later first.

Had him as high as 17th, but there are just some guys I have a hard time ranking lower.

 

[duhmetreE]

I know most of us are proponents of BPA, but I think we're going for our 2C with the 1st pick. Turcotte, Zegras?, Dach, Krebs?.. Some say Kakko can make that transition, could he become a Center?

If there's another 'Petterson scenario', I'd rather have the team overpay to get the player they want. I think Turcotte could be that guy

 

[Bluenote13]

Around this time in 2017 Heiskanen was ranked around 13, he ended up going number 3 overall. I'm not saying that soderstrom is the next Heiskanen, breaking out at 19, but he does play a very mature two way game.

 

[Edge]

Around this time in 2017 Heiskanen was ranked around 13, he ended up going number 3 overall. I'm not saying that soderstrom is the next Heiskanen, breaking out at 19, but he does play a very mature two way game.

There are a number of intriguing prospects for me in 2019.

Some years you feel like the parts are fairly interchangeable. In other words, a guy you have 14th could very easily by a player you rank 7th.

The challenge I have this year is that it's really hard for me to bump some guys.

Take a player like Kaliyev. There's no denying the goal scoring ability. There's no denying the pro potential.

But then who do I bump in my top 10? I can't bump the the top two guys. I have a hard time bumping any of the top centers. I can't bump Byram. The other wingers are tough to slide down.

But let's even say I move someone down. I go a few picks and you have someone like York, or Soderstrom, or Caufield. There's some intrigue there as well.

I will say that I feel that those 11-20 guys can be difficult to peg because that's usually the group where a different prospect slides into the top 10 from different lists, depending on preferences.

It's also a big reason why it's hard to call anyone who is listed in the 11-20 range on most "lists" a reach when they go in the top 10.

 

[True Blue]

With very few righty two-way defenseman in the top rounds he'll get picked early. While I don't think he'll be a top-10 pick it's not like he doesn't belong there, and he's definitely on my shortlist to be a potential surprise in the top 10.

Coming out the same. Don't love him just a strong "like". But he will go earlier than we think.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Also, talking about RHD, I’m already way on board the Justin Barron 2020 hype train

 

[duhmetreE]

Obviously we Hughes-Kakko will be 1-2. What's everyone's 3-7?

 

[True Blue]

Obviously we Hughes-Kakko will be 1-2. What's everyone's 3-7?

Hard to tell. In no particular order: Byram, Dach, Cozens, Turcotte, Boldy

Probably need to filter in Podzokolin as well. Though the lack of production is becoming mildly alarming.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Even though I didn't do an extensive search it seems that a lot of second-rounders are helped out by good testing.

First rounders, it doesn't seem like it matters as much. Micro Mueller killed it in 2013, still went in the late teens where he was mocked up around.

This is true.

Casey Mittlestadt not only couldn't perform a single pull up, he also had the worst VO2 max of any prospect at the combine. The former isn't that worrisome, the latter is as it speaks to his recovery capacity (which can improve, but the ceiling on it is genetic and if hes the worst of the crop, thats a bit of a red flag.)

He still went where he was mocked around.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Obviously we Hughes-Kakko will be 1-2. What's everyone's 3-7?

Byram/Cozens
Cozens/Byram
Krebs
Dach
Zegras

 

[Trxjw]

Soderstrom could definitely sneak into the top-10, but the guy I'm keeping my eye on is Lassi Thomson. I think he's going to be a riser on draft day.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Steve's comment about the combine made me go look at some numbers over the years, and how the Rangers picks fared:

Brady Skjei was one of if not the best in the leg strength categories in his year. Nils Lundqvist and K Andre Miller were both also at the top of their class last year in the leg strength categories.

All in all when it comes to defenseman they look at lower body strength and when it comes to forwards we've drafted some of the top wingspan, VO2 max per body weight, hand strength and bench press prospects.

I'll tell you though there's a lot of forgettable names in the top tens of all these lists over the years. These tests are not the be-all end-all but just a little part of the puzzle sometimes it makes a difference sometimes it doesn't, I'm guessing what happens on the ice is the ultimate Factor.

I was just thinking about it, do you know how Zadina did at the combine (specifically with lower body strength)? I remember him rating pretty close to the bottom of all the skating tests from the CHL prospects game testing last season

 

[Edge]

Obviously we Hughes-Kakko will be 1-2. What's everyone's 3-7?

Right now:

Cozens, Dach and Byram. I could probably interchange any of them, and Byram is growing on me as sliding up to 3.

Dach has probably been a bit more over the map for me over the last couple of seasons. Cozens has been steady, and Byram is the guy who I keep coming away more and more impressed with.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Cozens/Dach
Zegras
Turcotte
Krebs
Byram
Kaliyev

I really want a center, basically.

It would be very, very Rangers to pass up on one of these guy, though. Have a stud center prospect fal into your lap and say “meh, I like this dman”.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

For me
3/4: Cozens/Turcotte
5/6: Byram/Dach
7/8: Podkolzin/Zegras

 

[Kovalev27]

I’m seeing krebs rising all over the place too. Feels like 3-10 can be very interchangeable based on team preference.

Byram Cozens Krebs Dach Turcotte Zegras Podkolzin could all go anywhere in that range. Crazy depth in that top 10 this year.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I was just thinking about it, do you know how Zadina did at the combine (specifically with lower body strength)? I remember him rating pretty close to the bottom of all the skating tests from the CHL prospects game testing last season

I couldn't find anything about his specific numbers, but the only drill where he tested in the top 25 was the agility drill going to his left (top speed, not time.)

Nils Lundkvist tested very well btw, didn't realize how well he did and hes still really physically immature.

 

[Ola]

I know most of us are proponents of BPA, but I think we're going for our 2C with the 1st pick. Turcotte, Zegras?, Dach, Krebs?.. Some say Kakko can make that transition, could he become a Center?

If there's another 'Petterson scenario', I'd rather have the team overpay to get the player they want. I think Turcotte could be that guy

Yeah I agree, but I just don’t think those picks are in play in general, only in very specific situations.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

I couldn't find anything about his specific numbers, but the only drill where he tested in the top 25 was the agility drill going to his left (top speed, not time.)

Nils Lundkvist tested very well btw, didn't realize how well he did and hes still really physically immature.

It’s still very early, and I probably wouldn’t think anything of it otherwise, but maybe Gordie and company might’ve been on to something when they said they though Kravtsov was the second best forward in the draft

 

[n8]

newhook and the word slower shouldnt be used together.

not so sure on your take. newhook is fast. flat out fast. slower than turcotte ? dont agree. at all.

kid has blinding feet.

and hes a true centerman.

Maybe you didn't read past the word 'slow'? I think Turcotte has a slight edge in speed. Yes, I could have just said it that way but it was tongue in cheek. And I even used a winky face!

 

[n8]

Right now:

Cozens, Dach and Byram. I could probably interchange any of them, and Byram is growing on me as sliding up to 3.

Dach has probably been a bit more over the map for me over the last couple of seasons. Cozens has been steady, and Byram is the guy who I keep coming away more and more impressed with.

Curious what your take on Dach is. You've always been knowledgable in the prospects and I've only seen a handful of videos so my sample size is not the greatest but everything about Dach looks so slow! And I'm not even comparing his speed to the speedsters in the draft like Turcotte and Newhook. He just does everything slow like he's playing at a Division 2 NCAA level. Maybe he's just one of those 'little wasted energy' types but it's really hard to assess that without watching every one of his games from this season. Or maybe you have a link to a good video that I might have missed.